Coaxial connector

ABSTRACT

A coaxial connector with male and female members, the female member having a slotted tubular structure forming jaws and having an internal abutment providing an interference fit with the male member which has an annular recess to receive the abutment and remove the interference. A sleeve having a larger diameter than the slotted tubular member is carried by this female member and provides an annular space between the jaws and the sleeve. A sleeve carried on the male member has a captive bushing which is spring urged forwardly to enter said annular space and prevent expansion of the jaws by completely overriding and overextending not only the end of said jaws but also the adjacent jaw area to provide a direct, non-slanting contact locking area and thereby achieve a positive, unbreakable connection.

[ 11 3,745,514 [451 July 10,1973

1 1 COAXIAL CONNECTOR [75] Inventor: Alexander R. Brishka, Mamaroneck,

[73] Assignee: Sealectro Corporation,

Mamaroneck, NY.

22 Filed: July 26,1971

21 App1.N0.: 165,939

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 856,980, Sept. 11, 1969,

593,252 10/1947 Great Britain 339/259 R Primary ExamineF-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney-James M. l-leilman 5 7 ABSTRACT A coaxial connector with male and female members, the female member having a slotted tubular structure forming jaws and having an internal abutment providing an interference fit with the male member which has an annular recess to receive the abutment and remove abandoned" the interference. A sleeve having a larger diameter than the slotted tubular member is carried by this female [52] U.S. Cl. 339/91 R, 339/259 R member and provides an annulalr space between the [51] 111i. C1 H011 13/54 jaws and the Sleeve A sleeve carried on the male [58] Fleld 0186811311 339/91, 177, 259 ber has a captive bushing which is Spring urged f y wardly to enter said annular space and prevent expan- [56] References C'ted sion of the jaws by completely overriding and overex- UNITED S ES PATENTS tending not only the end of said jaws but also the adja- 3,3l4,041 4/1967 Potterin 339/91 R cent jaw area to provide a direct, non-slanting contact FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS locking area and thereby achieve a positive, unbreakable connection. 1,268,628 6/1961 France 339/91 R 286,966 3/1928 Great Britain 339/259 R 1 Claim, Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 1 0 I973 I N VEN'I'OR. ALEXANDER R. BRISHKA JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

COAXIAL CONNECTOR 'This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 856,980, filed Sept. 1 l, 1969,. and now abandoned.

A coaxial connector with male and female members, the female member having a slotted tubular structure forming jaws and having an internal abutment providing an interference fit with the male member which has an annular recess to receive the abutment and remove the interference. A sleeve having a larger diameter than the slotted tubular member is carried by this female member and provides an annular space between the jaws and the sleeve. A sleeve carried on the male member has a captive bushing which is spring urged forwardly to enter said annular space and prevent expansion of the jaws by completely overriding and overextending not only the end of said jaws but also the adjacent jaw area to provide a direct, non-slanting contact locking area and thereby achieve a positive, unbreakable connection.

The female connector consists primarily of a tubular body which is slotted to provide jaws which can expand when the entering male connector or jack encounters an internal annular abutment. An external recess in the jack receives the abutment after the jack has moved to its innermost'position in the female portion. In this condition, the jack could be withdrawn axially, causing the jaws to spread, were it not for a retractable bushing carried on the male assembly which enters the annular space between the tubular member and a sleeve carried thereon so as to fill up the area therebetween. As long as the bushing remains in its full forward position, under spring pressure, the underlying jaws cannot retract, but when the bushing is moved rearwardly on the male assembly and the jack is accordingly drawn outwardly of the female portion, the jaws retract with ease.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view, partly in section, showing the male and female portions and showing the relative diameters of the parts,

FIG. 2 shows parts in partially assembled condition;

FIG. 3 shows the parts in fully assembled and fully locked condition with the forward end of the bushing overlapping for a substantial distance the forward end of the jaws.

The connector of the present invention includes a female connector of tubular shape with a longitudinal bore extending inwardly from its outer end. A jack 11 has a diameter F which is slightly less than the bore diameter so that the jack can readily enter the bore. The female connector has a tubular body 12 with means at its rear end 14 for connection with a cable or to a panel and at its forward end it has slots 16 extending rearwardly to form jaws 17 on a flange 21. The body has an enclosing sleeve 18 to provide protection for the jaws and to limit spreading of the jaws to an extent greater than is desired or necessary.

A spring in the shape of a split ring 19 carried on the tubular body section causes the jaws to exert an approved measure ofcompression ontheslotted member. The tubular section has a rear annular flange 20 and a forward flange 21. These flanges confine the ring in about the position shown. At its forward end, the tubular section has an outwardly flared chamfer 22 and rearwardly. of this chamfer there is a section 24 of reduced diameter which is convexly curved in cross section and is proportioned to be received in an annular recess 26 of complementary shape in the jack 11. The

jack 11 is otherwise of constant diameter F until it reaches an enlarged body portion 28 which terminates in a further enlarged section 29.

An outer sleeve 30 is carried on the body portion and is formed inwardly at its rear end 31 to engage an annular chamfer 32 at the rear of the body portion. Portion 33 may have means for connection with a cable. When the jaws are at their maximum inward position, there is an annular clearance 27 between them and the bore in sleeve 18.

At its forward end, the sleeve has an annular flange 34 which confines a bushing 36 captive, the bushing having an enlarged rear flange 38. A spring 39 carried on the body section 28 urges the bushing outwardly. The bushing has an inner diameter G slightly larger than the outer diameter of flange 21 at the forward end of the tubular sleeve.

When the jack 11 moves into the tubular section 12, it encounters the reduced diameter section 24 and moves the jaws outwardly. The inner and outer ends of the tubular member has a diameter to freely admit jack 11 and the reduced diameter section 24 enters the annular recess 26 andholds the parts against easy axial displacement. If the tubular member 12 is made from such material as beryllium copper, which has spring properties, the split ring 19 may be omitted.

When the jack enters the bore in the tubular sleeve, it encounters the reduced diameter section 24 which provides an interference but continued movement causes the jaws to move radially outwardly. By the time the reduced diameter section 24 enters the annular recess 26, the jaws are free to move inwardly and continued inward movement causes the forward end of bushing 36 to enter the annular space 27 between flange 21 of the jaws and the bore in sleeve 18, all as shown in FIG. 3.

,In the bushing entering the intervening annular space, the end of the bushing will completely fill this v area and completely overextend the jaws 17 and entire flange area 21 of the tubular body whereby a positive, direct action locking will result.

A vector force diagram of the various forces shows more positive holding action because of the direct application of the entire end of the extending bushing over the entire end of the jaws. This results in better and more efficient locking action than a slanted or biased contacting area.

By moving sleeve 30 rearwardly against the compression of spring 39, the jaws are free to move outwardly to release the parts when tension is exerted on the male and female portions.

For the information of the Examiner, there is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference an actual connector which is marked Exhibit A". Note that no amount of pull on connector 16 and connector 33 can disconnect these elements, yet a slight, gradual continuouspull on sleeve 30 (see FIG. 3, FIG. 2, and attached Exhibit A) will withdraw the locking bushing 36 and permit the protuberance 24 to ride out the channel 26 against the spring action of spring 19 and disconnect the elements.

While various prior art patents, such as US. Pat. Nos. 2,877,437 and 2,992,403, British patent 845,697, and

French patent 1,268,628, show certain of applicants features, none show applicants combination of rugged elements for maximum effective positive direct superimposed locking action. All of the above patents and ter of the tubular structure thereby providing an annular space between the jaws and the sleeve for expansion by the jaws; a male member including a solid cylindrical jack portion formed with an annular recess to receive the internal enlarged sections on the jaws when the two members are joined, a bushing with an out wardly extending flange which is resiliently urged to enter the annular space in the female member to lock the jaws over the jack, the end of said bushing completely filling the space between the jaws and the sleeve so as to positively prevent accidental expansion of the jaws until the bushing is withdrawn bythe sleeve. 

1. A coaxial connector having male and female members with means at their outer ends for attachment to cables and the like; the female member including a slotted hollow tubular structure forming jaws with enlarged ends and having an enlarged annular section but of reduced internal diameter, a sleeve also secured to the female member enclosing the tubular structure but having a larger internal diameter than the outer diameter of the tubular structure thereby providing an annular space between the jaws and the sleeve for expansion by the jaws; a male member including a solid cylindrical jack portion formed with an annular recess to receive the internal enlarged sections on the jaws when the two members are joined, a bushing with an outwardly extending flange which is resiliently urged to enter the annular space in the female member to lock the jaws over the jack, the end of said bushing completely filling the space between the jaws and the sleeve so as to positively prevent accidental expansion of the jaws until the bushing is withdrawn by the sleeve. 